Register device for printing-machines.



No. 777,849. 7 PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904. E. J. FALLA & P. F. BARRETT.

REGISTER DEVICE FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1903.

NO MODEL s SHEETSSHEET 1.

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REGISTER DEVICE FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

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No. 777.849. 7 PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

E. J. FALLA & P. F. BARRETT. I

REGISTER DEVICE FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1903 N0 MODEL. 3 $HEETS-SHBET 3.

UNITED STATES.

Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT @FFICE.

ERNEST JAMES FALIJA AND PERCY FREDERICK BARRETT, OF HASTINGS, ENGLAND.

REGISTER DEVICE FOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 777,849, dated December 20, 1904.

Application filed November 4,1903. Serial No. 179,359-

To alt whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ERNEST J AMES FALLA and PERCY FREDERICK BARRETT, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 9 Dorset Place, Hastings, in the county of Sussex, England, have invented a new and useful Register Device for Printing-h/Iachines, (for which we have made application for Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 2,133, hearing date 29th of January, 1903,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the printing of sheets in several colors or similar operations when it is necessary that the successive separate printings or operations should register that is, occupy the same relative positions with regard to each other on all the sheets onerated upon.

It has hitherto been found that owing to the difficulty of feeding a sheet quickly and exactly to the lay-points a great proportion of sheets are spoiled when printing at high speeds. For instance, when printing sheets in several colors the separate colors will in some sheets overlap each other where they should not. It also applies to cases where printed matter on one side of a sheet has to be exactly on the back or relative position of printed matter on the other side; and it still further applies to embossing printed designs, burnishing matter printed in gold, and many similar uses where register of one operation with a preceding operation is necessary.

The object of the invention, therefore, is to provide means which can be readily applied to existing machines or included in new machines without necessitating serious alteration and which will act automatically to insure accurate registration in printing operations such as above referred to.

The invention broadly consists in providing tapering points or spikes either directly or indirectly attached to the platen or cylinder of the machine and adapting such points that just previously to the sheet being printed they pierce or perforate the same and so that when the sheet is again about to be printed the tapering points can be arranged to enter the same perforations, drawing the sheet into position, and thereby insuring identical register in each successive operation.

The invention consists, Specifically, in methods of applying the tapering points to various types of machine and the means employed for adapting themto properly perforate or reengage the sheets, substantially as hereinafter described.

The accompanying drawings illustrate several modes of applying the invention.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation showing the application to a simple platen-machine, Figs. 2 and 3 being detail views connected therewith. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating the application to a cylinder-machine, Figs. 5 to 9 being detail views of the device or appliance employed therewith. Fig. 5 is a side sectional elevation of the device closed, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the device opening and with one side plate removed. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the device open. Figs. 8 and 9 are views taken from the front and rear ends, respectively, of the device in the position shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a slightly-modified form of the device.

In carrying out the invention according to one modification, as in the application to a simple flat-platen machine, two or more devices are attached in any convenient manner to the platen. Each device is fitted with a tapered 8O perforate the sheet or enter perforations al- 5 ready made therein during a previous operation, and when the platen .moves back again into its initial position the spikes are withdrawn from the sheet, which is held back by the holders.

In the example shown each device comprises a sheet-metal plate 1, pasted or otherwise secured to the usual blanket on the platen 2 and under which a thick card is inserted.

The plate 1 has two cars 3 bent up from the plate to form a sheet-holder. A spring-plate L is attached to the plate 1 and provided with The spring-plate a tapering spike or point 5.

is of such a width that it can be forced down between the ears 3, the spike passing through a suitable perforation in the plate 1. The holders 3 are adapted to receive the sheet fed in, such sheet being perforated by the spike when the platen 2 moves up into contact with the form 6, and a pad 7' on the spring-plate engages a block 7 on the form, such block being provided with a concussion-spring or the like 8. When the platen returns to its initial position, the spring-plate withdraws the spike from the sheet, which latter is prevented from following the spike by the holders 3. When the sheet on a subsequent occasion is again inserted into the machine for a different color or other impression, the spikes enter the same perforations, draw the sheet into position, and thus insure accurate registration.

The blocks 7 are of course mounted in the form below the type-level, and similarly the perforating devices are also arranged that they enter corresponding blanks or recesses in the set-up form, so as not to interfere with the true contact of the sheet on the platen with the type or like on the form.

In carrying out the invention according to asecond modification, as in the application to a cylinder-machine, the tapered spikes or points are carried upon the cylinder. The spikes may be mounted directly upon the ordinary grippers; but in such a case any lateral play of the grippers due to any play or loose fitting of the shaft carrying the grippers would interfere with accurate registration, so that they are preferably carried by devices applied to two or more of the grippers, each device, as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 9. comprising two side plates a, fitted with an inclined base Z). The rear ends of the side plates are curved or otherwise suitably formed so as to securely rest upon the shaft or rod 0 on the cylinder The side plates are each fitted with bars 0, adapted to rest on a shaft or rod f on the cylinder and about which the blanket g is wound. The side bars a are pivoted to the side plates a on a bolt 71, being moved about their pivots by screws 9;, freely working in lugs 7' on the side plates. By drawing the side bars a down hard onto the shaft f the device is securely fastened onto the cylinder, for the tighter the bars are drawn down onto their respective shaft f the tighter the curved ends of the side plates embrace the shaft 0. A loose plate also pivots on the bolt it, being acted upon by a coiled spring Z, tending to keep it in its open position, as shown in Figs. 5 and 9. The plate 71' is provided with a spike or sharp point m, adapted to enter a corresponding perforation 12 in the plate 7). The plate is has a short fiat portion or jaw 0, upon which there is a slight ridge or projection 12. The plates (0 and b are suitably recessed to receive the ridge, and thereby form an opposing jaw.

It will thus be clear that when a sheet q is fed down the usual feeding-board r, Fig. 4, into the usual grippers and the grippers are closed by any usual means the two or more grippers 10, fitted with the registering or perforating devices, close the latter, so that each device assumes the position indicated by Fig. 6. The spikes m then pierce the paper and the latter is drawn round with the cylinder.

In order to insure positive release of the sheet when the grippers proper open and the grippers 10 allow each perforating device to open into the position shown in Fig. 5, a removing-plate s is pivoted on the bolt it independently of the plate I; and provided with a perforation corresponding to the spike m. The removing-plate s is acted upon by a spring,

' preferably one end of the spring 5, so that as the plate It moves open the spike moves through the opening in plate 70 and pushes the sheet off the same, being limited in its upward move ment by a pin It is retained down in its lowermost position as the plate it closes by a spring t, which engages a small curved lug or catch a, fixed on the removing-plate s. As the jaw-plate Z: closes the spring 25 presses on the lug-catch a, and thereby presses the removingplate .9 down, a small beveled cam 7), fixed on the jaw-plate it, at the same time forcing or guiding the spring to one side until the gripper has closed, whereupon the spring tsnaps under the catch a. When new the grippers proper start to open, the grippers 10, in which the devices are applied, allow the plate 7': of each to likewise start to open, whereupon the catch wand therefore the removingplate, is retained, the spike moving downwardly relatively to the removing-plate, shown in Fig. 6, the sheet being thereby positively pushed off the spike, Further opening of the plate [7 results in the cam 7) forcing the spring 25 to one side,'and thereby releasing the catch a and removing-plate, which can then follow the jaw-plate 10 in its further downward movement into the position shown in Fig. 7

In the form shown in Fig. 10 ahinged plate w is adapted to engage the shaft f on the cylinder,being screwed down thereon by a thumbnut .70 and screw, as shown. In this form also a spring is'dispensed with to open the lower plate 70, such plate being attached to its respective gripper by a wire loop 9, so that it is obliged to follow the movements thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a printing-machine provided with grippers, of a device adapted to be applied to one or more of the grippers comprising a stationary upper plate, a hinged lower plate, a spike upon said lower plate and a corresponding perforation in said upper plate.

2. In a printing-machine provided with grippers, of a device adapted to be appliedto ICC) ITO

one or more of the grippers, consisting of a stationary upper plate, a hinged lower plate, a spike on said lower plate adapted to entera corresponding hole in the upper plate, and a spring for moving said lower plate when the gripper opens, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In a printing-machine provided with grippers, of a device adapted to be applied to one or more of the grippers,con1prising a stationary upper plate, a hinged lower plate provided with a spike, a spring for opening the said lower plate when the gripper opens and means for positively removing the sheet off the spike as the lower plate opens after the printing operation.

In a printing-machine provided with grippers, of a device adapted to be applied to one or more of the grippers, said device comprising a pair of plates adapted to be attached to a gripper, one of said plates carrying a spike adapted to perforate a sheet when engaged by the grippers.

5. In color or like printing machines devices applied to some of the grippers each comprising a stationary upper plate, a hinged lower plate provided with a spike, a spring for opening said lower plate when the gripper opens and means for positively removing the sheet off the spike as the lower plate opens after the printing operation, consisting of a third hinged plate normally fitting over the spike and moving upwardly with the lower hinged plate, but temporarily retained in the downward movement by a spring on the upper plate adapted to engage a pawl on the said removing-plate, a cam on the lower plate being adapted to thrust said spring aside to release the pawl and removing-plate substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST JAMES FALLA. PERCY FREDERICK BARRETT. Witnesses:

H. F. CHESHIRE, A. F. CLARKE. 

